The Tar Heels have won their 13 games so far by double digits, establishing a new school record for consecutive victory with double-digit margins. That broke the record of 11, which was set by the 1992-93 NCAA championship team.

Carolina's average margin of victory thus far is 26.4 points per game, and that includes dominating victories against seventh-ranked Notre Dame and 10th-ranked Michigan State.

UNC will open conference play today at 5:30 p.m. at the Smith Center against 12-2 Boston College, which has won nine consecutive games.

The Tar Heels have won their games the right way, too, as former UNC player and assistant coach Larry Brown likes to say. Carolina leads the nation in assists at 20.5 per game, making their offense extraordinarily difficult to defend.

As a result, Carolina is second in the country in scoring at 95.6 points per game.

"It has been a very unselfish team," coach Roy Williams said. "When Ty (Lawson), Danny (Green) and Wayne (Ellington) told me they were going to come back to school, I said: 'Let's understand one thing right now: It's going to be about our team. It's going to be about the name on the front of the jersey and not the one on the back. If you're coming thinking we're going to give you 40 shots a game and make you the focus of everything, you shouldn't come back. You should go on.'

"The kids immediately said -- there was no thinking -- 'Coach we understand; this is what we want.' ... They have bought into it. They've been so unselfish."

Williams says fans can sometimes hear Tar Heels on the court saying "one more."

"What that means is one more pass, because there is a guy even more open on the other side," he said. "I just think they have been doing a great job of that."

There is another omen as well. UNC has won 15 consecutive road games, which is the longest since a school-record 23-game streak of road victories ended in 1925. In 1924, when that streak started, Carolina went undefeated at 26-0 and was voted the national champions, back before there was an NCAA Tournament.

The improvement in players such as Green and Deon Thompson have made this team even better than the one that went 36-3 a year ago and played in the Final Four.

Green said that the biggest difference for him is he wants to win. He has matured, learned to concentrate for longer periods of times and he understands what it takes to play the game at this level.

"It's my senior year," Green said. "I want to go out with a bang. I want to win every game possible. That is one of the main reasons why I'm so focused. I've been to the Final Four. I've been in the tournament in every possible situation. I've experienced a lot. The only thing I haven't experienced is a national championship. This year I'm trying to achieve that goal."

Tonight, the Tar Heels will have to contend with Boston College point guard Tyrese Rice, who scored 46 points a year ago against UNC. Carolina eventually won, but not before Rice scored 34 points in the first half, led the Eagles to an 18-point lead early in the second half, and finished with eight three-pointers made.

"He was sensational," Williams said. "I kept feeling like he wasn't going to make those (threes) for the whole game, but he almost did. I do believe it was one of the best shows (by an individual) that I have ever seen."